Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-28
THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.
Wages and Living In BuenOs
Ayres-A Ride Across the Pampas

Argentine fepuDllC. SOclely is COul-
posed of those wealthy enough to re-
frain from manual labor and working
people. Wages as a rule are low, and
the cost of living as high as in the
United States, and not half 80 good.
In the "camps" poems engaged in
herding are paid from SO to $12 per
month, and supplied with meat and
matte. Should they wish to vary this
diet it must be done at their own
expense. Few care to do so. Matte
is a peculiar herb grown in Paraguay,
and is the national beverage of the
country. 1t is dried, powdered and
STEPPED in hot water and used as tea.
1t possesses considerable stimulating
powers, and enormous quantities are
consumed. All classes use it. A gourd
is followed and filled with matte, a
tube to suck through inserted and the
contents absorbed. 1t is considered a
serious breach of etiquette to refuse
the matte cup when it is passed around.
The same tube passes from mouth to
mouth.
Skilled labor does not command
high wages. Locomotive drivers re-
ceive from 500 to $75 month guards
or conductors, $45; good mechanics
average $3.50 day. When the value
of Argentine money is reckoned, these
are low wages. A constant specula-
tion in gold is carried on, and the
value of national money constantly
f1uctuates.
Certain professions are we'll paid.
Dentists, photographers, civil engin-
eers and school teachers find occupa-
tion and make money. A laboring
man entering the republic finds him
self thrown into competition with the
hungry hordes OF the Old World, and
must accustom himself to strict econo-
my and hard living to get along. The
Italians employed ON the streets or in
pnblic works are paid $1.25 day.
This is the rate for ordinary labor.
;Stevedores and men around the docks,
not steadily employed, $3.50 and
board clerks from $50 to $40 per
month. A knowledge of Spanish is
absolutely required OF the latter.
The country maintains standing
army OF $4,000 men, and has good
navy, comprising several powerful
armored ships. Military distinction
is eagerly sought, and the sons of rich
families enter the service. 1t is not
unusual to see boys of fourteen and
fifteen years wearing officers uniforms.
English, Germans and French are
found among the officers. The total
population OF the country is estimated
at 100000.
!. House rent is excessively high, and
city property held at exorbitant fig
ures. The same may be said of out
lying lands. Compared with prices a
few years ago, their valuation is eX-
cessive, and crash is inevitable.
Camp lands for grazing purposes in
remote districts sell from $4,000 to
SIS 900 per square league. The coun-
try is generally level from the coast
line back to the Andes. The average
rise in altitude is four inches to the
mile. This is the region of the pam
pas-vast, treeless plains, covered
with grasses aud comprising rich soils
Twenty-Five foreign steamship lines
touch at Buenos Ayres, and thousands
of immigrants are landed yearly. Fas
and well-equipped river boats navi
gate the Uruguay, Parana and Plate
river.
In November | shook the dust O
the cholera-stricken city from my fee
and embarked on the Trident, rivel
steamer, for Santa Fe, an old towr
400 miles north of Buenos Ayres, OF
the left bank OF the Parana. The
river is a majestic stream rising il
Brazil, it flows down to form in con
junction with the Uruguay the river
Plate. 1t is broad, deep and navigable
for many hundred miles.
Santa Fe, situated in the province
of the same name, lis a typical Spanish
town-a collection of adobe buildings
located along narrow, sandy streets.
1t is extremely antique. however,
having been founded over 300 years
ago, and contains many curious old
buildings. Northwest from it 240
miles lies Cordoba, the Athens of
South America, an old university town
and seat ef ancient learning. The
national observatory of the republic
is here, presided over by Benjamin
Gould, famous for his astronomical
discoveries. He is an American. A
wonderful old convent, founded in the
sixteenth century, and other notable
buildings, public bath copied after the
Roman, ancient paintings and libraries
exist. A railway line from Buenos
Ayres extends to Cordoba, but owing
to cholera, trains were not running.
At Santa Fe | met two English gem
tlemen who wished to make the trip.
Securing horses and a guide, start
was made the second morning, and in
a few hours we were away from civili-
zation and crossing the vast plains.
can liken the pampas to nothing
except a smooth ocean; their vast
ness, monotony and utter loneliness
is oppressive, and the traveller gazes
yearningly for some object on which
to rest the eye. Overhead blue,
cloudless sky shone, the air was in
tensely hot, and the only noise made
was that of the horses amid the tall
grass.
Two or three times during the day
isolated mud huts were sighted, and
at one OF these we procured water and
camped for the night. These are
headquarters for the cattle herders-
Withholding guaches OF mixed blood
and truculent visage. These dwellers
of the pampas are almost constantly
i'm the saddle. They wear the uni
versel poncho-a square colored
blanket, slit in the middle to admit
the head-and are armed with lassoes
and long knives. An ignorant, wild,
savage race, with no great love for
foreigners, they still retain consider
able aspect for the "Gringo" six
shooter, and rarely modest travellers
unless excited by drink.
The second day an early start was
made, bands OF ohtriches were sighted,